


just like that you're mine, like magic

by theprincessed



Category: Emmerdale, Emmerdale RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Crossing Timelines, Established Relationship, Friends With Benefits, Hopeful Ending, Hotel Sex, M/M, One Night Stands, Porn With Plot, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 19:20:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7946101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan goes to sleep and wakes up in a hotel bed with Robert Sugden.</p><p>Robert sees an attractive man who he thinks looks startlingly like him at a bar in Leeds.</p><p>What happens when the two universes and timelines meet?</p><p>Sex happens, obviously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	just like that you're mine, like magic

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya. No, I didn't have a clue how to summarise this madness! So, I saw a gif of 'Robert' and one of Ryan as himself beside it and somehow it spiralled into this. I DON'T KNOW, I keep writing weird, niche stuff lol.
> 
> For my Mr H buddy. You are a terribly effective, filthy enabler and I hate you (jokes ilu <3).
> 
> Hope you and everyone else enjoy x

Ryan's staring down into Danny's face when he remembers where he is and what he's doing. He blinks, the moment gone, and rolls off Danny to settle on his back beside him and tries not to take notice of the satisfied sigh that leaves Danny's lips. The compliment feels hollow and he silently berates himself when Danny must clock some sort of telltale expression on his face because his eyes immediately soften in concern.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

“What? No - nothing,” he smiles, heart running a mile a minute.

Danny looks like he wants to argue and Ryan almost wills him to, but he spends a few more seconds searching Ryan's face then kisses his cheek instead. “I better go.” Ryan stops himself from whining about it. Just. Except it's oddly not the right response this time as Danny raises his eyebrows. “No comeback? No trying to convince me to stay over?”

He leans in and Ryan's not sure who kisses who first, but he's definitely the one who deepens it, his hand curled around the back of Danny's neck and his naked body turned enticingly into him.

“What about that?” he pants, having to eventually break for air.

“You really went for it,” he gasps, voice wavering as Ryan kisses his throat. He does it again, just for kicks. He's got to get them somewhere somehow. Predictably though, Danny pulls away. “But I really have to go. Need to learn me lines, mate.”

He wants to say _Learn them here, with me, I'm in half the bloody scenes anyway_ , but the “mate” makes him swallow everything down and he only nods, quiet and trying to distance himself. This, this _thing_ between him and Danny is just that, a casual no strings having fun kind of situation that Ryan fell into and can't – doesn't want to – let go. 

He's desperate not to smile when Danny leaves his bed with a cheeky, exaggerated wiggle of his bare arse as he picks up his clothes strewn across Ryan's bedroom floor and goes to the bathroom. He still doesn't understand why Danny doesn't put them on in his presence as it's not like he hasn't already seen everything before, but maybe it's as weirdly intimate for him as it is for Ryan. He pulls the sheets more over his ribs at the thought and waits for Danny to return, feeling in better control of his desires and his feelings as he re-emerges, now that the post-coital haze is rapidly wearing off.

His stomach does a helpless little somersault as Danny moves subtly from one foot to the other, seeming awkward for the first time since they became more than platonic. He takes his phone out of his back pocket, looks at it then at Ryan. “So, I'll – well, I'll call ya. Text ya. Somethin'.”

“Yeah.” It feels good to smirk, to have the upper hand. “Or you could see me in work tomorrow.”

“Ah.” Danny huffs a laugh and rubs the back of his neck and is that – is he _blushing_? “Alright, see you then. Tomorrow. G'night.”

He leaves the room and Ryan's smile lasts until he hears the front door close downstairs, until it hits him all over again that he actually remains alone. 

Relationship-less. 

Dreadfully single. 

He wouldn't mind so much if he didn't want a certain someone to be more than a bit of _fun_.

Ryan exhales a bigger, forlorn sigh now that no one but Tommy would be able to hear, if he wasn't in his pen in the living room. He supposes he should lock the door after Danny and check on his beloved, faithful, uncomplicated dog.

He rolls onto his side and luxuriates in how good his sheets feel against his skin, even if he can still feel the heat of Danny next to him. He closes his eyes, determined to block out the thoughts now that he's gone.

Five minutes.

He'll rest for five minutes of peace and quiet.

\--

It feels like hours before Robert comes out of the meeting, but at least he leaves with fresh, newly signed contracts. He felt incredibly powerful being a one-man show in front of a group of middle aged men from the same company, succeeding in making them agree to use Home James. It's already fast approaching early evening and he can't wait to go home and tell Aaron (and Liv, if he's honest, not that she'd be too bothered about the particulars) the good news before one of his clients turns to him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“I think our new partnership is cause for celebration, don't you?”

Robert opens his mouth before he really thinks it through. “Oh, er, I - ”

The man pauses, stony-faced. “What?”

He sees in his steely eyes two things at once – not to challenge him, but also almost daring him to try, to see if he's willing to risk something that could so easily be ripped up and pulled away. Robert has the local solicitors on speed dial, but the man's company is a much bigger fish than Home James. It's partly why Robert wanted to go after him, but he also knows that he could back out of even a signed contract in a jiffy.

It makes him back down from declining whatever 'celebration' he and his friends have in mind. Instead, Robert smiles tightly and reaches inside his suit jacket pocket for his phone. “Excuse me, I need to make a call.”

First, he calls Nicola and she possesses little sympathy for his predicament.

“Are you mad? You are absolutely going to do whatever they want,”

“Hey, Robbo!” one of the younger men in the group brazenly calls over to him as he stands a few feet away, trying for some privacy. _Robbo_? “Know any 'gentleman's clubs' around 'ere, if ya know what I mean?”

He winks and Robert shudders internally. Even if he did, the chances that he'd tell that creep are incredibly slim. He nods to show he's heard and risks holding up a finger. “I'm not going to some seedy strip club, Nicola,” he hisses.

“Ooh, the great Robert Sugden turning down scantily-clad women! Wow, you really are gay, aren't ya,”

His jaw clenches. “For the last time - ”

“Yeah, yeah, not gay, I heard you the first time,” she interrupts, “but fine, no strip clubs. Just find something to keep them sweet, alright? The last thing we need is a crisis on our hands because some old fart couldn't get his leg over.”

“Who says women would want him?” He throws a look over his shoulder at the average set of businessmen. “I wouldn't. Thanks, by the way.” he adds hastily.

“What for?” she barks, irritated by the soft sincerity she can clearly hear in his voice.

“You said 'we'. I really feel like we're a team now and y'know - ”

“Oh, shove off!”

Robert ends the conversation with a laugh and a promise that he'll think of a plan to ensure they go back to their headquarters with glowing reviews about his business _and_ hosting skills.

With the nightlife in Leeds hardly being his best subject, he has to think on his feet but eventually he manages to convince the group that an upmarket bar is more befitting the occasion. The men crow about champagne and he agrees, phoning Aaron as he waits for a bottle and a glass of mineral water for himself. He has no doubt that he'll probably be roped into the alcohol as the evening wears on, but he wants to pace himself. He blinks, marvelling at his sensible thoughts. If he could skip out later and drive home he would.

“Looks like I'll be on an overnight here,” he tells Aaron when he picks up after the fourth ring to the scrapyard's landline. He'd tried Aaron's mobile phone with no luck.

“But it's almost 7 and you're only in Leeds,” he says, sounding confused and also breathless as hell, as if he rushed from tearing a car apart to answer the call. Aaron rarely rushes for anything.

Robert sighs, leaning on the bar. He can hear the businessmen from across the room, chattering loudly with an air of self-importance that's even too much for him. “I'm under strict orders from Nicola to keep this client sweet by any means necessary.” 

Aaron grumbles softly down the phone, hoping for nonchalant but Robert knows him too well. 

“I'll make it up to you,” he smiles, ready to lay it on a bit thick to appease Aaron's softer side when he glances down the length of the bar and nearly drops his phone. As it is, he does a double take, but forgets he's talking to Aaron. “What the hell?”

“ _I said_ , thanks for telling me this time,” Aaron apparently repeats begrudgingly in his ear, reminding him of the last time he failed to mention where he'd spend the night, involving a pesky teenager and the boot of his vintage Porsche.

“Sorry, not talkin' to you,” he replies, before he realises how that sounds, “I mean – there's this guy and he looks – he looks - ”

“Spit it out, will ya?”

Robert blinks heavily, as if the man in front of him will just disappear into thin air. He doesn't. “He looks like me.”

“Robert, I haven't got time for this,”

“Aaron, listen, I'm being serious!”

He can hear the pause and even his frown down the phone. “What d'ya mean he looks like you? Like, tall and blonde? Yeah, that's breaking news.”

“Honestly, I wouldn't say if - ” Robert chances another look to make sure it wasn't some fevered, self-obsessed daydream, but no there he is, tall and blonde yes but with his similar build and dimples and general face. “He has my face. It's so - ”

“Weird?”

“ - Brilliant!” he grins.

Aaron sighs. “You sound like you've got a crush or somethin'. Do you fancy 'im?”

“No harm in window shopping, is there?” he shrugs, “Remember that bloke in Hotten who was cruising you all night before finally gettin' a clue that you're taken?”

“Oh yeah, I think you tryin' for the PDA gave him that idea,” he says dryly.

A sudden fierce wave of protectiveness comes over him, turning his voice dark. “You're mine.”

“Alright, mate, we ain't in the 1930s or whatever,”

Robert laughs and nods at the barman as he finally returns with the champagne on ice and he hands over his credit card. “Look, we're getting sidetracked here. Lemme FaceTime you. You do remember how to do that, yeah?”

“Not you an' all!” he groans because Robert and Liv's combined favourite thing is teasing him about being a technological dinosaur. “Of course I know,” he snaps.

“Great. I'll see if I can get a good angle without him noticing, honestly, you have to see him,”

“Why? What's so special about - ”

“Bye!”

Excited, Robert hangs up from the scrapyard and figures he better take the visitors their drinks and uses the excuse of leaving his water at the bar to go back, ringing Aaron's mobile again on the way. He turns so his back is facing where the stranger was last seen standing and hopes he looks oblivious as to what – or rather, who – is in the background as Aaron answers and Robert gives the screen a winning smile. 

“Hi, again,”

Aaron tips his chin at him. “Let's have a look then,” Robert laughs, surprised, but puts his phone at a certain angle to get at least a half decent shot of the man. “Nah. He's much better looking than you,”

Robert's mouth drops open. “Take that back!”

“I don't think I will, mate. He's outta your league.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah and he seems...nice.”

He watches Aaron press his lips together, keeping in a smile maybe or even something more. Quite how his boyfriend can tell that the stranger is 'nice' just by spying on him standing casually at the bar is beyond him. He wants to remind Aaron that _he_ was nice to him that very morning in ways that the man could only dream of, but instead his competitive, ambitious side rears its sometimes ugly head, turning him defensive.

“Do _you_ fancy him?”

Aaron immediately raises his eyebrows. “I asked first.”

“And like I said, there's no harm in looking.” He takes a sip of his water and slides his gaze to the man again, unable to stop checking him out. It's just so fascinating, to think that there's someone out there with a similar face to him, living their own life, and now they're in the same bar. He looks to be by himself and Robert looks at his phone. “You don't think I can pull him?”

“I'd like to see you try,” Aaron snorts then when Robert simply blinks at him, he realises he's serious. “Um. Yeah, of course you could. You're...you. Got charm comin' out of ya ears, for better or worse. Go on.”

That pulls Robert up short. “Sorry, what?”

“If you really wanna try and have sex with yourself then do it. No, Adam, come back! I swear we're not - ” he says suddenly before sighing. “Great. Now I gotta convince my best mate and your brother-in-law that we weren't having phone sex like some sort of winding down at work,”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I mean, I don't need Adam making up gossip about our sex life - ”

Robert shakes his head, “No, about the guy! You're giving me permission to - to cheat on you, Aaron,”

“Don't get any ideas,” he warns darkly, “I was messin' with ya before. It's weird how much he looks like ya and you're only gonna get the opportunity once to be that self-obsessed, so...” A smile slowly spreads onto his face. “Besides, you'll probably fail big time and I wanna hear all about it when you're all alone in your hotel room tonight. It'll be just like that time I thought I saw Danny Miller in Robblesfield, but it turned out not to be him.”

Robert smiles at the memory. “Oh yeah, you were adamant for hours before we worked out that it wasn't. Your crush on him is cute.”

“I'm never cute,” he frowns, disproving his point as far as Robert is concerned.

“Alright,” he agrees tentatively and squares his shoulders, “I'm goin' over. Can't believe you're giving me a free pass for this.”

“Ten quid says he's not interested in blokes and he turns you down gently.” Glee crosses Aaron's face beautifully and it warms Robert's chest. “Fifty quid says he'll throw his pint over ya and storm out.”

Clearly he's been in The Woolpack too long and watched too many fights go down. Robert grins. “Deal. Prepare to lose your money, sweetcheeks.”

Aaron looks murderous. “ _Never_ call me that again.”

“Cute's not so bad now, is it?” he teases, “I'll call ya later though, let ya know how it went.”

They say their goodbyes and Robert looks over to the businessmen. Even though they're getting drunker by the minute, they seem happy enough to be left alone, so he turns his attention to the other side of the room, picks up his glass and saunters over to the tall, blonde stranger that flipped his world view upside down. He puts his water next to the man's pint, leans on the bar and gives him his best, most charming and roguish smile that's always more of a smirk. He never admits it, but it's always made Aaron's knees into jelly. He glances up, finds the nearest man and woman then looks at the blonde.

“So. Who's fitter – her or him?”

The blonde stares at him silently, obviously not expecting such an opening gambit or maybe suddenly struck with how he seems to be looking into the face of himself, just like Robert had been earlier on. Eventually, he clears his throat and somewhat shyly surveys the two people Robert had in mind. Truth be told, he hadn't known he was going to go with this first until he'd actually said it but he is still quite the master of successful bullshit, so he doesn't panic just yet.

Except he's thrown when the blonde, dressed in a navy blazer similar to his own, shows him the tilt of his mouth. “Is this your chat up line?”

“I don't use lines,” Robert replies, defensive and worried because that kind of was a line. “Don't need to.”

The man blinks at his fall back on arrogance before a shocked huff of laughter bursts out of him. “Okay, well – er – let's start with hi instead, shall we? Hi. I'm Ryan. Nice to meet you.”

He offers his hand – large palm, lovely fingers – and Robert comes in for the handshake, smiling when their palms solidly fit and he feels the warmth. The man's - _Ryan_ 's - gaze skitters away from his penetrating, calculating look and Robert's cock throbs for the first time. “Hi. I'm Robert. And the pleasure's all mine.”

\--

Ryan wakes up, disorientated and sitting bolt upright. He's ready to leap out of bed, lock the front door and see to Tommy when his eyes adjust properly to his surroundings. He knows almost immediately that he isn't in his bedroom at home because the walls are white, not pale blue and the TV is on a stand straight in front of the bed, not mounted on the wall and the room has a distinctly too clean, not lived in hotel feel. The curtains are drawn, but he can tell from the play of light against them that it's approaching dawn and he's been asleep for hours. 

He's still battling his confusion when he hears the muffled tones of a voice talking in the only other 'room' here, which he assumes is the bathroom. Not only is he in a place he doesn't remember and naked to boot, there's also someone else with him. Did he drink last night?

Ryan crosses his fingers that it's Danny as the talking stops, the lock clicks and the door opens, but nearly falls out of the unfamiliar bed when a complete stranger swaggers out in just his pants, phone in hand. Except he feels like he's seen him before and he blinks a couple of times, convinced his mind is playing tricks on him. As he's doing this, the man pins him with his gaze and slowly smirks.

“Tried that a few hours ago,” he says, putting his phone down on the dresser that holds the TV. “It didn't work for me either.”

Ryan watches him put his hands on the foot of the bed then one knee and the other, heart rate spiking dramatically. “What're you doing?” He bends his knees and pulls the sheets up over his chest but it's difficult because this man's body is leaning on them. “I mean, I – I don't – I'm - you're not – _you're not real_!” he exclaims.

The man straightens, kneeling at Ryan's feet, “Of course I am. I think last night proved that enough.”

He winks and Ryan drops his face into his hands with a groan. “This is all a very, very weird dream. I need to wake up now.”

“As flattered as I am that you think this,” he puts his hands on his hips, “is a dream, I'm really not. Touch me.”

“What?”

He rolls his eyes and slides off the bed to sit closer to Ryan, facing him. “Touch me. That can't be faked, right?”

He offers his curled arm and Ryan tentatively touches his skin. He feels warm and smooth and distressingly real. He swallows his panic and the confusing niggle of added arousal to force his gaze up from his almost naked body. “You're tensing,” he says, matter-of-fact.

He smirks again. “You know me so well.”

“That's the thing, I do!” he says, gesturing to the man opposite him. “You look like me, you practically have my face,” Ryan's eyes move over to the chair by the window where his clothes lay along with a perfect suit, “you live in suits and I'm gonna ask you a simple question,”

“Okay,”

“What's your name?”

“I told you last night.” He lifts his hands, placating. “I promise I didn't take advantage. You definitely weren't bladdered, mate,”

Ryan clenches his jaw then stops because that's what _he_ does. “Just tell me your name. Please.”

“Robert. Why?” But before Ryan can answer, Robert ( _Robert!_ ) chuckles. “I can guess why. We do look similar, yes, but honestly, my boyfriend thinks you're better looking.”

“Oh well, that's alright then,” he says softly, sarcastic, internally panicking that he means Aaron. “This is insane!”

The look in Robert's eyes turns dark, predatory. “Hot though. You have a chance to get off with someone who looks a lot like you. Could be fun...”

Ryan shakes his head slowly. “Your arrogance is - ”

“Appealing?”

“ - Breathtaking.”

“Thanks very much!”

Ryan can't help laugh. “That wasn't a compliment.”

“I don't care.” Robert shrugs, “I know what I want. If you'll have me.” He moves in towards him and Ryan's eyes widen. “It'll be a hell of a story to tell your boyfriend.”

“Don't have one,” he says automatically.

Robert grins, “Even better.”

He cups Ryan's cheek and their lips meet in a flurry of first time nerves tangled up with a strange sense of déjà vu. Robert takes the lead and Ryan sinks into the moment, suddenly aware that he often defers to Danny, unless explicitly asked to be in charge. As Robert's hand curls around the back of his neck instead, he stops thinking so much about circumstance and falls into sensation and taste, his fingers accidentally bumping against Robert's lap. He's half hard and the shock of it makes him slack-jawed and his own cock throbs in answer as Robert seizes his open mouth to give him his tongue. 

The longer they kiss, the more Ryan's hands gravitate from Robert's waist to his dick and the thought of touching and tasting him becomes impossible to ignore any longer. When Robert lifts his thigh to straddle him, Ryan makes his move and shoves him onto the bed. He knows just the right amount of force to use because of their similarities and it makes them both moan, but he's keen to find out the differences too and he figures the quickest way to do that is to get his mouth on him. Robert has been ruled by his dick many times in the past and clearly something went on last night that got Ryan in an unfamiliar hotel room. He feels a little tired in his muscles, but likes the mystery and doesn't ask, choosing to keep Robert under him and tuck his face into his neck.

“No marks,” he says hurriedly and Ryan smiles against his skin, cooler than his own because he's been walking around in just his pants.

“I know you like the back of my hand.” he replies without thinking, adding, “I mean, I feel like I do,” to cover himself. He doesn't understand this anymore than Robert probably does, but he took Ryan's earlier freak out well and he's not about to put them back there.

Despite his warning, Robert leans into his mouth. “What about the inside of your hand?” he gasps, “God, just touch me, will ya?”

Ryan feels his hands on his arse, the sheets tangled and stopping their bodies meeting fully with him covered at the waist and Robert still in his underwear. He shuffles down, his hands to Robert's ribs, and latches onto a nipple briefly before lifting his gaze. Stripes of shadow and light play off the curtains and cut across Robert's jaw, his head thrown back already. He feels Robert's chest move beneath his grasp as he breathes and presses a soft kiss just beside his nipple, his shiver telling Ryan what he expected and didn't get. Robert's hands push down on his shoulders, silently bossy and his patience is running out so fast with the slow burn tease that a part of Ryan is tempted to pin him to the mattress and kiss every inch of skin, but the bigger voice wins out and he lets it guide him down Robert's torso. 

He never fully understood why Danny would spend such a long time between his navel and his cock until his lips take the same path on Robert and an urge to bite wells up inside him like a wave. He hooks his fingers into his black underwear to reveal him completely and tests a little with his teeth, watching Robert squirm. He wonders if he hit an insecure spot when his hips buck and his dick bumps into his Adam's apple and he laughs quietly. Still with a one track mind, Ryan appeases him by taking his naked, silky skin in hand and ducks his head to press his lips to his girth. He's trimmed, not bare, and Ryan sucks wet kisses up to the tip, closing his lips immediately tight. It's too dry and rough, but he likes that Robert's fingers clutch at his short hair and his thighs cave in towards his ears. 

It makes Robert whine and his breathing rapid and shallow, enough that Ryan can hear it over the sounds of his work. “Oh fuck, yeah, that's it, you're so good,”

He forgoes the lube and just uses his spit with the smell of entirely expensive aftershave and a faraway hint of leather still in his nose and spreads his legs beneath the sheets with the need to feel something extra. He ruts into the softness and can guess that Robert paid anything to get a hotel room in the city centre at such short notice. He alternates his hand between Robert's length and his balls, rolling them in his palm as his mouth keeps busy, his sucking turning fast and dirty to throwback to car backseats and barns that actually happened once upon a time for the man currently at his mercy. The power sees him puff out his chest, but try harder to bring Robert off and he slips down more, easing him into his throat. Robert's fingers flutter constantly at his jaw and cheeks, as if he's remembering someone more bearded, but Ryan doesn't mind, can't mind when he's got another in his thoughts too and a longing for scratches and to get fucked.

He's unsure if he looks this good when it's Danny's view, but he enjoys Robert sweaty and unravelling nonetheless, his eyes flicking upwards to watch. Robert's shoulders flex, his back bows and Ryan pushes his knee away as it gets too close to the side of his head before Robert responds, tugging on his hair and Ryan groans through the sharp flash of sensation. The city below them is just properly coming alive and he moans again when Robert wriggles and suddenly pulls him off his cock by an insistent hand, his greedy panting for breath noisy in the otherwise quiet room. He snaps his teeth against Robert's belly to show his disapproval, just in case it's his last chance, but can't help smile when he feels the vibrations of Robert's chuckle through his lips as he kisses his way lazily up his body, his fingers stuck curled to the nape of Ryan's neck.

Blanketing his body with his own, he lets Robert kiss him, tasting the toothpaste he'd used before coming out of the bathroom that morning. He'd worry about his, before he remembers that his mouth tastes like dick now anyway and sighs, wishing Robert wasn't such a control freak.

Ryan kisses the flat bow of his top lip and teases his tongue across the lower. “Wanted you to come,” he admits, blinking heavily and his cock as hard as the one that had been in his mouth, probably mere seconds from blowing his load.

“I've got plans,” Robert grins, all his pieces put back together to make him look just as unruffled as before, apart from the hectic blush of his cheeks. “Get on your knees. It's my turn for some fun.” 

When Robert shuffles out from underneath him, Ryan notices that his own tan has faded more than his and he's scrabbling for any contrast, so used to many more but appreciating the novelty as he slides behind him, pulls him chest to back and bites his earlobe. His dick is pressed to his arse and Robert's fingers squeeze the meat of his shoulder, feeling and calculating as much as Ryan is.

With them both naked and not covered by the sheets, Ryan feels every movement against his body as Robert kisses a trail down his spine. At halfway, he pushes Ryan's shoulders towards the bed and strokes his hands down to settle on his waist instead to keep a grip on him throughout. Ryan never truly realised how big his own were until he feels Robert's on him now, holding onto him so confident and strong. He has a second where he thinks about those fingers inside him and hides his face in the plush hotel pillow, biting down on a groan when Robert squeezes one hand into the subtle softness just above his hipbones. He feels a pull to his hair, warm fingers buried in the flattened tuft at the front.

“Stay like that,” Robert tells him next to his ear and Ryan feels a tremble run through him because he's not sure he can, not when he has a pretty good idea of what's coming.

Even so, he plants his knuckles into the bed and holds his breath as Robert smiles against his cheek then kisses his shoulder. Ryan squirms, ticklish, as he skims his sides with his wandering lips before their bodies lose contact the further down he goes. At his waist, he hears a pleased murmur and feels Robert's tongue trace along the line of his tan, anything below it as pale as winter until the middle of his thighs, the gap highlighting where he wore his shorts on holiday. He pays special attention to Ryan's lower back, the tip of his tongue exploring with such light pressure it makes him restless in anticipation. The low chuckle and apologetic kiss to his tailbone shows that Robert knows what he's doing to him and loving riling him up, just like Ryan should've been prepared for, but all is almost forgiven when his hands slide to the front of his thighs and dig in. He digs his own into the sheets when Robert switches to his arse and repeats the move, Ryan's skin stinging from the scratch. Robert says something and chuckles, but he hopes it was rhetorical because he didn't hear and his thoughts are entirely scattered, spread-eagled like he wants to be.

He shivers when Robert's thumb rubs over his hole, the first real touch of where Ryan wants him, then replaces it with his mouth, kissing a path across one cheek and his jaw falls slack as the width of his tongue flicks out, teasingly and then with more intent, tasting him properly. By now, he can usually feel the prickle of a beard that quickly turns into a burn. There's none of that here, but Robert's too good for Ryan to dwell and miss it for long, alternating between gentle licks and full on sucking at his rim. 

Just when he thinks he knows the pattern and pushes back against Robert's movements, he changes it and Ryan's tightly shut eyes fly open when his index finger sneaks in to the first knuckle. Wet with spit but tight as anything, he clenches and focuses hard on the small abstract picture framed above the bed, a ghost of a smile at his lips when Robert swears and his licks his way back up Ryan's body. Robert pulls him against his chest by his throat and Ryan's stomach swoops from how easily he does it and he gasps hard as Robert puts a hand to his face and their lips meet feverishly, his other hand wrapped around his cock and his knuckles brushing Ryan's arse.

“Wanna fuck you just like this,” he says, squeezing at Ryan's shoulder and rolling his hips so he can more than just imagine what he means.

Ryan licks his lips. “Yeah? Thought you'd wanna see my face,” he quips.

“There's time for that,” he chuckles, knowing what he's getting at.

Ryan watches him reach to the side, only now realising that there's lube and condoms already on top of the bedside cabinet, making him wonder if their timelines are slightly skewed. If he's to believe in any of this at all, he ended up in Robert's hotel bed somehow because it's how he woke up, even if the last thing he specifically remembers is Danny leaving his bedroom, his house, and falling asleep alone. There's an empty condom wrapper already, as brazen as day right there, so he and Robert must've met on Robert's side of things the night before. It's ridiculous to blush now, especially when he has no knowledge of it, but he can't calm the heat quick enough before Robert turns back to him, dropping the lube and another condom at his knee. He smiles when Ryan's assumes his earlier position and sucks at his neck, having no qualms about giving Ryan something to remember him by when this is all over. He knew Robert was full of contradictions but it's fascinating to see it up close and very personal.

“I can do shy,” he teases, “I've got no problem with shy at all.”

Instead of taking his time again, he bends Ryan over, spread his arse with both hands and dives right in, running his mouth into the cleft of his arse and licking at his hole. Before Ryan's aware of it, his arm is behind and his palm covers the back of Robert's head, a groan passing through his body as Robert approves. He never wants the slide and pressure of wide tongue and warm puffs of breath to end, but eventually he uncurls his clawed hand and Robert comes up for air and just enough time to slick a couple of fingers. He keeps kissing at Ryan's arse as his fingers sink inside, meandering away to his hipbones and down the backs of his thighs until Ryan can't control the noises coming from him and Robert knows that he's ready.

Between the two of them, Robert's cock slides into him inch by inch, slowly but surely, until he's buried to the hilt and they're completely connected, from their hips to Robert's knees between his thighs. His fingers shift on Ryan's shoulder like an anchor and he moans at the feel of him pulling out to roll back in, able to catch the full length of him and squeeze. Robert builds a steady rhythm from there, Ryan letting go of the sheets to reach for anything of his he can grab, the pace increasing as he finds the crease of Robert's thigh and pushes him against his body, wordlessly encouraging him to fuck him harder. For a while, he wraps his big, warm hands around Ryan's hipbones and gives it to him in short, quick and filthy bursts, slowing when they're both panting for breath and starting to sweat. At one point, Robert moves his grip up a notch to the patch of undefined soft flesh above his hips that leads around to his stomach and leans over Ryan to kiss behind his ear.

“You're shaking,” he smiles, gleeful.

Ryan clenches on purpose and digs his fingers into Robert's arse to make him hiss. “So would you with this cock in your arse,” he quips tiredly.

Robert groans, biting at his earlobe. “Mmm, promises, promises. You gonna return the favour later, are ya?” They're giggling about it like naughty schoolboys and about to go for another intense round when Ryan hears something outside that snaps his attention to the door. Footsteps in the corridor and sporadic knocking has him thinking only one thing – housekeeping. He puts his hand on top of Robert's and throws him a look over his shoulder, eyes wide. 

Robert drops a kiss to his mouth, chaste. “Relax. We're strictly Do No Disturb.” Ryan relaxes once he hears the telltale sign of their room being skipped and another knock further away with the cursory call out. “Actually,” Robert adds, withdrawing slowly, “I think it's about time I saw that pretty face of yours looking up at me instead,”

Ryan shakes his head. “Anyone ever tell you your ego is as big as your dick?”

“All the time.” he smirks then blatantly runs his gaze greedily over Ryan, stopping at his cock, as he turns to sit down, legs splayed. “What's your excuse?”

“Don't need one,” he grins, sunshine.

Robert laughs and Ryan kisses his chest as they come together again. Robert lets him kiss and touch until Ryan tugs on his erection as a reminder of the task at hand and he pushes the pillow more under his head as Robert fucks into him for a second time. Through the pause and banter, the sensation feels greater and Robert grunts in response as Ryan struggles to control himself, pushing him in with a hand to his waist. The other roams down Robert's abs and Ryan tells himself that he's studying for difference, not admiring, until Robert takes hold of his calves and leans forward, deepening the angle. Soon, there's no room for anything else but feverish kissing and their combined groans and Robert starts to get erratic. Believing he has little time left to enjoy the feel of Robert's thick cock filling him up, Ryan begins to bring himself off. It's so good that his back bows and he bucks towards his fist, sticky with precome as his fingers pass over in a blur before Robert slaps his cheek.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” he says urgently, jaw clenching. Ryan narrows his eyes, but keeps them open as requested, “Fuck, such a pretty face, could come right now just from looking at ya,”

“Narcissist,” he grits out.

He catches Robert's thumb with a lick as it swipes across his lower lip, bruised and blurred from near-constant kissing. “Give an inch and ya take a mile,”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Ryan laughs then groans as Robert puts his hand underneath his neck and pulls his head up from the pillow, his legs loosely around Robert's hips.

“Christ, look at you, can you feel that?” he asks, snapping his hips tightly back and forth for continuous stimulation. “God, I'm gonna come. Can I? Can I come?”

His eyes are fixed on where his cock disappears into him and the thought of Robert of all people _asking permission_ nearly makes Ryan lose it first and he can't find his words quick enough, so he nods and squeezes at Robert's arse, shivering as he hardens a fraction and closing his eyes as the hottest noises he's almost ever heard come tumbling from his mouth. He slumps over Ryan for a second and he feels the rush of Robert's breath then a kiss to his collarbone.

“You wanna come like this?” he asks, rolling his hips carefully.

Knowing that Robert must be keen to pull out, he shakes his head and they both wince as he slips free. Ryan enjoys the slightly overworked discomfort that comes with it though and Robert, spent and a little bit useless, lets him push him down onto the bed and kneel high above his torso. Ryan's aware of his eyes drinking him in again even when he's not looking, too busy getting back to fucking his fist, but secretly pleased when Robert walks two fingers behind his balls and easily curl inside. The addition makes him wobble until he puts a hand out and he feels Robert's nipple. Just when it's starting to feel like too much, his dick jerks and his fingers pinch. Robert rubs hard into his spot for the nipple tweak and Ryan comes on his torso, milking himself dry. As he collapses beside him, Robert looks down at the mess and suddenly remembers to strip off the condom.

“Be right back,” he chuckles.

Ryan watches him go with a fluidity to his walk that's mesmerising and bites his lip. He's looking at the ceiling when Robert returns and slides into bed with a satisfied sigh. Whilst an undoubtedly good time was had by all, Ryan feels a little empty. He doesn't belong here and neither does Robert, not with him.

“Y'alright?” Robert says into the thoughtful silence.

Ryan shifts his head to look at him. “Does Aaron know?” It's not what he planned to say, but he doesn't retract it. “That you're with someone else, I mean.”

The startled look in Robert's eyes vanishes, before he figures (wrongly), that he must've told Ryan Aaron's name the night before. “Oh yeah, 100%. I wouldn't have approached ya otherwise.” he smirks.

“Good.”

“Are you sure - ” he starts, uncertain.

“What?”

“Are you sure you don't have someone too? A girlfriend? A boyfriend? Sometimes you were looking at me like you expected someone else.”

Ryan looks away, embarrassed. “Sorry. Didn't mean to. It's just - ”

He feels Robert move then a hand on his shoulder and when he looks back Robert is propped on his side, softness in his face and voice. “Don't apologise. It was...different for me too. Fun, but a one-off.”

Ryan nearly laughs and says that's what he's said to Aaron, in the beginning, but smiles instead. He's surprised when Robert leans down and kisses him gently. “Talk to them. Tell them what a good lay I am and then prove you're better.” he winks, the touching moment at an abrupt end.

This time, Ryan does laugh, thinking that maybe he has a fair point before it baffles him.

Robert Sugden talking sense, _giving advice_. He really has changed.

\--

“Hi honey, I'm home!” Robert calls out because he's in a good, silly mood, as he puts his leather bound file case (last year's birthday present from his adorably unsure boyfriend) on the arm of the couch. Chas pops her head around from the kitchen and that's when he hears the kettle click off from boiling. “Oh, hi.”

In the next second, he hears a thunder of footsteps down the stairs and Aaron appears.

“ _Honey_ , he's home,” Chas smirks at her son.

Aaron frowns, confused, but Robert leaves it at a dark look to Chas then smiles at his boyfriend. “Aren't ya gonna welcome me home then?”

“Not in front of his mum, he's not,” Chas says, quickly sorts her cup of tea and exits the room.

Once alone, Robert flops down on the couch and puts his feet on the table, now that Chas isn't here to snipe at him about it. “I knew that'd get rid of her.”

“You've only been gone a day,” Aaron reasons, picking up their conversation and coming to join Robert where he lounges.

“But a very successful day it was. Homes James' newest client left Leeds happier than a pig in mud, I pulled a decent bloke and you owe me money, so c'mon, cough up.”

Aaron folds his arms across his chest. He's wearing something from his updated wardrobe and looks good in it. Maybe Robert does want more than a welcome home kiss. “You completely avoided the subject when you called me this mornin', so I thought you'd messed it up,”

“Oh ye of little faith!” Robert crows smugly. “He was excellent, by the way, if a bit preoccupied. And turns out, nowt like me at all.”

“What a relief for him,” he quips dryly.

Robert closes the gap of the middle seat between them and cups the side of Aaron's face, immeasurably happy to feel stubble against his fingertips. He ducks and kisses his neck, inhaling his scent that's so familiar and cherished now. “Want me to tell you more? How I told him about you and how much I love ya. How he's probably in love with someone too. How he sucked me off like a champ and then I gave him the rimjob of his li-”

Suddenly the door behind them opens and in comes a well known, cock-blocking voice.

“Ugh, this is worse than the footsie!”

Robert sighs and pulls away from Aaron a fraction later than Aaron himself who's already pressed to the arm of the chair. “Hi, Liv. Did ya miss me?”

“No, who would?” she says moodily and stomps over to the kitchen. “Scratch that, my loser brother would.”

“I am still here y'know!” Aaron snaps, before Robert's gaze drops to his lap and he realises in his haste to get away from him that he managed to grab a cushion and position it so it casually blocks the view of his crotch.

Robert smiles slowly like a shark and leans in to whisper. “You definitely missed me, eh? Me and my dirty mouth. We'll finish this later and you can pay me in something better than money if ya like.”

He kisses Aaron's red cheek, raises a hand to say goodbye to Liv and decides to check in on Nicola and Jimmy to report back from the Leeds meeting.

It's good to be home.

\--

Ryan pushes his heels into the mattress and holds Danny onto his cock, grinding up into him in tight, unyielding circles to make him feel all of him inside. The front of Danny's hair has long since curled in the damp, sweaty air between them and Ryan longs to wind it around his finger, but to do that he'd have to let go and Danny's hands are already clutched to his flexing forearms, desperate to control his own pleasure like he usually would, but secretly Ryan can't stop thinking about what Robert said.

_Tell them what a good lay I am then prove you're better._

He figured the latter might be easier first.

“You want it?” he blurts out, biting his lip through his blush. Danny has every right to blink at him in surprise because Ryan's not the type to rabbit on. Danny's the vocal one, noises and dirty talk, but he starts to grin when Danny's eyes light up, bright blue. “Gonna give it to you so good, go on, take it, take my dick,”

Danny groans, his fingers scratching at Ryan's arms, pink tramlines appearing through his lightening tan. “Fuckin' hell, Ryan, what're you - ”

Throwing himself into his role as sexy and impulsive, he pulls Danny down and their lips crush together in a bruising kiss. “Just listen,” he says against his mouth, “you're gonna come when I say, okay? Can we try? Think you can do that? I wanna see if you can - God, Danny, you look - ”

Hot. Amazing. _Beautiful_.

He doesn't make him wait long, controlling the pace he's being ridden, until he twists one arm out from Danny's grasp to tug on his cock. He's already messy with precome and grunts when Ryan squeezes, his arse clenching in reaction and, seconds later, he lets go. It spills over Ryan's fingers and onto his belly and he shivers when Danny stops their tug-of-war to trace the gentle dip of his v-lines with his fingertips. His stomach muscles contract and Danny sucks on a drop of come at his side before he pulls himself free and crumples face first into the bed. He turns his head immediately to watch Ryan peel off the condom and tuck two fingers into himself. It's a tight fit when Danny only teased him as he was blowing him earlier, but Ryan doesn't care, not when there's memories of Robert interrupting the reality of Danny staring hard at him as he tries to find his own release.

“Thank you,” he smiles.

It hits Ryan in the chest and he wishes it didn't get to him, but he chases the feeling and comes with stars bursting behind his shut eyes.

The next thing he's aware of is a tongue between his fingers and the vibrations of a laugh. He opens his eyes when Danny sucks lazily at his sticky thumb. “I knew that'd do the trick. You're such a sap.”

Ryan blushes. “Yeah, guess I am.”

“But also, full of surprises.” Danny sinks into the pillow again, his whole body on display. Ryan can't resist his gaze lingering on the curve of his fucked out arse. “That was – something else y'know. I've never seen you like that before. It turned me on a lot, to be honest.”

Ryan feels like he should explain the reason for his more direct approach, taking what he's always wanted. 

Then he looks at Danny, _really_ , looks at him and he realises that it doesn't matter, not right now at any rate. Who knows, maybe one day he'll try and tell him about his chance meeting with Robert flamin' Sugden, but for now, he boldly reaches out an arm to draw Danny close. This time, if he's surprised, he doesn't show it, going so far as to plant a kiss on Ryan's chest. It's coincidence that he's on the left side, right near his heart.

“Please stay.” Ryan says, stroking down his back, “I'd really like it if you stayed.”

Danny's tender kiss to his lips is answer enough.

They fall asleep, tangled together.

He stays the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


End file.
